Davos 2026: How Indian newsrooms and media leaders made their mark

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos has once again served as a high-stakes arena where media visibility is shaped not just by presence, but by access, leadership participation and editorial ambition. 

As global leaders, policymakers and CEOs converged in the Swiss Alps, Indian newsrooms were also out in force, competing for relevance, recall and influence in an increasingly crowded international media environment.

Among Indian media organisations, the India Today Group emerged as one of the most prominent performers at Davos this year, marked by senior leadership participation, scale of coverage and sustained on-ground engagement. The group’s presence extended across television, digital and editorial leadership, reinforcing its positioning as a key Indian voice within global conversations.

A defining moment for the group came through Kalli Purie, Vice Chairperson and Executive Editor-in-Chief of India Today Group, who participated in an official World Economic Forum session. Her inclusion in formal WEF programming placed India Today Group among a relatively small set of media organisations globally that were not merely covering Davos, but actively contributing to its structured discourse — a signal of institutional credibility and standing.

On the broadcast front, CNBC-TV18 Managing Editor Shereen Bhan delivered one of the most demanding and visible performances by an Indian journalist at the summit. Over the course of Davos, she anchored and conducted close to 100 interviews with global leaders, corporate chiefs and policymakers, often back-to-back across long broadcast windows. The sheer volume and consistency of output underlined CNBC-TV18’s editorial muscle and logistical depth, hallmarks of a newsroom built for global economic coverage.

India Today Group’s editorial footprint was further strengthened by the presence of senior journalists such as Rajdeep Sardesai, whose long-standing familiarity with global political conversations added weight to the group’s on-ground reporting and analysis. 

On the digital side, Moneycontrol contributed to the group’s Davos momentum, with Chandra R. Srikanth, Executive Editor – Technology and Startups, securing a notable soundbite from US President Donald Trump, a moment that travelled swiftly across Indian digital platforms and news cycles.

NDTV was also present at Davos 2026, fielding a sizable entourage of journalists, including senior editorial leadership. Rahul Kanwal, who is a regular at Davos, was on the ground, reflecting the network’s intent to maintain visibility at the global forum. NDTV contributed to the overall Indian media presence at Davos and participated in the broader coverage ecosystem that surrounds the annual meeting.

However, Davos 2026 once again highlighted the distinction between presence and impact. 

While multiple Indian newsrooms had teams on site, the forum underscored how leadership-led participation, sustained editorial output and marquee broadcast moments increasingly determine which organisations shape narratives and which remain part of the background noise.

As Indian media houses look to assert themselves globally, Davos has become less about ticking the box of attendance and more about demonstrating newsroom ambition on an international stage. In that sense, Davos 2026 functioned not just as a global summit, but as an informal ranking ground — revealing which Indian newsrooms arrived prepared to lead, and which were content to simply be seen.

This year seemed to be the year of women leaders at Davos .The three women leaders shone and made huge impact at Davos – Kallie Purie, Vice-Chairperson and Group Editorial Director of India Today Group, Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor-CNBC TV18, who shines every year and Chandra R Srikanth of Moneycontrol, stood out and created headlines for the Indian media.